Pervis Staples, whose tenor voice complemented his father’s and sisters’ in the legendary gospel group the Staple Singers, died May 6 at his home in Dolton, Ill. He was 85.
The death was announced by Adam Ayers, a spokesman for sister Mavis Staples. The cause was not disclosed.
Pervis Staples sang gospel songs with his father, the guitar-playing Roebuck “Pops” Staples, and sisters Mavis, Yvonne and Cleotha in Chicago churches before gaining a national following when they began recording songs such as “So Soon,” “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” and “Uncloudy Day” for Vee Jay records in the 1950s.
